Insulating cover for electrical connectors

ABSTRACT

A formed electrically insulating cover which covers all exposed electrical surfaces of a connector. The insulating cover is formed or molded to conform generally to the outer contours of the connector being covered. A skirt depends from the main body of the cover to enclose an open area providing exit space for conductors extending from the connector, the skirt having sufficient length to cover exposed or stripped portions of the conductors. Inherent snap-fastening members are provided in the skirt to fit about one end of the connector and lock the cover thereto.

United, States Patent] 1151" 911969 showy CooperJr, I v 51 June 5, 1973541 INSULATING'COVER FOR 3,519,731 6/1970 Grunba nrn "174/1381ELECTRICAL CONNECTORS I f r i g FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLlCATlONS [75]Inventor: James Joseph Cooper, Jr., St. Louis, o s p Mo. p 1 e I v p v1,224,522v ,2/1960 France 174/ 138 F v p p "2,016,367 IO/1970K Germany..l74/l38F [73] Assignee: International Telephone. and Tele- I graphCorporation, New York, N, Y Primary Examiner -Laremie E. Askin: v c v AAttorney-C. Comell Rerns'en, .Ir., Walter J; Baum, w

[22] 1 Paul w; Hemrhin'geret'ah s [2|] Appl. No.: 268,730 [57] ABSTRACTI I g A formed electric ally insulating cover which covers all [52] Cl"174/138 9 1 9 I exposed electrical surfaces of a connector. The insullnt. Bolt 13!, H01! 13/48 i cover psi-formed or molded to vccmfim-ngenerally of Search R, th out r nt f the onnectopbeing covered 1 3 3+'16 9 A skirt depends from the main body of they cover to l c 208,21011,210 M v enclose an open areaproviding exit space forconduc I j Y torsextending from the connector, the skirt'hav'ing g v c References Citedsufficient length to cover exposed or stripped portions I v 3 ofrthe'conductors. lnherentsnap-fastening meinlbers TE S PATENTS "are providedin the skirt to fit about one end ofthe 927 955 5 5 C maconnector'and'lock the coi/er thereto. 1 9 3,467,768

Clnims, Ibrnwlng Fignres PATENTEDJUN 5W5 3,737 559 j sum 1 0F 2 1.INSULATING COVER FOR ELECTRICAL CONNECTORS BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTIONSUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention is especially adapted foruse as a dead front cover for connectors which are to fully insulate aconnector electrically although not necessarily protect against theelements of weather. Thus, the covered connector is not designed for usein locations exposed to the outside weather.

Rubber or other suitable plastic insulating material is molded into aspecific shape to closely conform to the shape of the object beingcovered both as to the top and sides. One'end of the cover is closed. Atthe bottom of the cover the entrance of cables into the connector iscovered by skirts depending from both sides and the closed end. At theend of the connector designed to be mated to a transformer bushing orthe like, a suitable reinforced opening is provided to fit about thebushing. Between the end with the reinforced opening and the skirtsthere is provided an inherent closure structure.

comprising button headed integral rivet members in one wall confrontingreceiver openings in the other wall. The buttons snap fit into thereceiver to firmly gripand hold one another and hold the cover firmly inplace around the connector. I

It is, therefore, an object of the invention to provide a new andimproved insulating cover for electrically conductive power-distributingmembers, the cover having integral cover locking and retaining members.

his a further object of the invention to provide an improved electricalinsulating cover which comprises a U-shaped section adapted to fit abouta connector, the cover having inherent mating male and female membersfor locking the opening of the U-section in a tight 7 holdingarrangement about the connector.

[BRIEF DESCRIPTION OFYTHE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is, a side view in perspectiveof a connector with my cover fastened thereon;

FIG. 2 is a bottom perspective view of the connector of FIG. 1 with thecover partially removed;

FIG. 3 is a side view in elevation of the cover of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a bottom view in elevation of the cover of FIG. 3 partiallybroken away;

FIG. 5 is a bottom view in elevation of the fastener area of FIG. 4enlarged;

FIG. 6 is a view as FIG. 5, with the fasteners joined in closed orlocking conditions; and

FIG. 7 is a front elevational view of the cover of FIGS. 3 and 4.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF'THE DRAWINGS In FIGS. 1 and 2, I show acompleted and covered assembly of a connector 12 for a pad mount orsubmersible transformer (not shown). The connector may be any of thewell-known type as shown, which has win- I dows 14 for receivingindividual cable conductors, or may be the type (not shown) which hasbolts for connecting thereto compression lugs, the lugs each beingaffixed to a cable conductor.

The connector 12, as mentioned, has windows 14 through which cableconductors are fitted with set screws of any known type holding thecable conductor tightly in the window in good electrical contact withthe body 20 of connector 12. As can be seen in FIGS. 1 and 2, the cablesextend essentially parallel to one another from their connection to theconnector. In FIGS. 1 and 2, I show six large diameter cables 22connected to the connector and one small diameter cable 24 suitable forstreet lighting and the like.

At one end, the connector has a threaded opening 30 for receiving atransformer-connected stud bushing 32 with the remainder of theconnector body 20 extending from the opening 30. Adjacent the end withopening 30 is a neck section 36 with a flat upper surface 38 and anotherwise cylindrical portion 40 for receiving the length of the stud.From the neck section 36, there extends the connecting windows 14 forconnection of the cables 22 spaced along the length of the body Suchconnectors and stud bushings are well known in the art.

Mounted over and covering all exposed surfaces of the connector is theremovable cover member 50. The member 50 comprises a molded or otherwiseformed cover of suitable elastomeric material of what may be calledsheet thickness, which is generally imperforate except for the bushingreceivingopening'at one end and the open bottom section as will bedescribed herein. The cover member, as shown best in'FIGS. 3-7, has aflat top wall 52 slightly thicker than itsintegral sidewalls 54 and anend wall 56 all designed to fit about the connector. At the bottom ofthe side and end walls is a flexible, integral skirt member 60 extendingparallel to and stepped from the-side and end walls. This skirt memberextends forv approximately the same distance as the height of the sidewalls 54. The added thickness of wall 52 is provided to import greatertear resistant strength to the top wall. I

In the normal condition, the skirt member side walls 62 are spaced adistance apart sufficient to receive freely therebetween the cables ofthe completed assembly. At end wall 56, the spacing between skirt memberwalls is wider at section 63 to receive one or more small diameterconductors 24 from either side.

At the end of the cover member designed toflt over the connector necksection 36, the skirt section has thickened walls with height slightlygreater than half the height of skirt sidewalls 62. In skirt section 70,the

skirt walls are bulged outwardly to form two side-byside, half tubularmembers 72. Each member 72 has integrally molded or otherwise suitablyaffixed to and intruding from its wall, a headed rivet or button 74.Each rivet 74 has a flexible rod body 76 section with an enlarged,arcuate or pointed mushroom head 80, the end 3 of the head being roughlyeven with the inner skirt walls. The arcuate or pointed head acts as aleader or guide for the rivet.

The skirt section on the side opposed to the buttons has a chamferedreceiver opening 84 for each rivet, the opening having a wall sectionslightly less in thickness than the length of the rod body 76 of arivet. Each opening 84 leads into a chamber 86 of size suitable forreceiving the rivet head. Each chamber 86 comprises a hollowed-out,half-tubular receiver section. Each receiver opening 84 has its diameterslightly smaller than the maximum diameter of the rivet head 80. Athickbottom wall or floor 88 covers the tubular sections adjacent thereceiver openings to render the receiver'section more rigid, thereceiver section walls being relatively solid.

At the neck end of the cover, the area 90 about the circular entrance 92for the transformer bushing is reinforced and designed to fit tightlyabout the neck 36 of connector 20.

In FIG. 5, I show the buttons separated from the respective receiveropenings, while in FIG. 6, I show the rivets snapped into the receiveropenings in locked condition.

FIG. 2 shows one step in the assembly of a cover onto a connector. Forthat step, the skirt 62 is rolled back on both sides to open the centralcavity 94 of the cover wide enough to pass the cover 50 over a connector(most usually with cables connected therein). The cover 50 is fittedover the connector body 20 with the end wall 56 of the cover drawnagainst the connector. The reinforced area 90 of the neck opening abutsagainst the end of the connector neck 36 with the opening closed aboutthe circular bushing section. The skirt is pulled over the cables to theposition of FIG. 1, and the rivets 74 are aligned with the chamferedopenings and are snapped into the receiver chambers 86 locking the coverto the connector.

With the rivets or snap buttons 74 closed, the cover thought to be thepreferred embodiment of the invention, it is understood thatmodifications may be made therein, and it is intended to cover in theappended claims all such modifications which fall within the true spiritand scope of the invention.

I claim:

1. A cover adapted to insulate and cover a'distribution connector of thetype having a connection from an electrical distribution member at oneend and a pluralv ity of cables extending in parallel from the body ofthe 50 serves to insulate all exposed conductive portions of theconnector 20 and the skirt covers all exposed or stripped portions ofcable conductors 22 and 24. The neck opening of the cover, which issplit on the skirt connector, the invention comprising: an imperforate,elastomeric-shaped insulating member having a rectangularly configuredbody portion including top, side and end walls shaped to conform to theouter contours of a connector and to extend beyond the extent of theconnector, a continuous skirt member flexibly depending from the body onboth sides and the end of said body, a reinforced opening in the coveradapted to receive a cylindrical connecting member spaced between saidbody portion and said reinforced opening, an inter- I mediate skirtsection with said skirt section having button members intruding from onewall, and button receiving openings in the opposed skirt member wallalignable with said buttons for receiving said buttons in snap fittingrelation and to close said intermediate area under said connector andlock said cover to said connector.

2. A cover as claimed in claim 1, wherein said button members compriseintegral elastomeric headed members extending inwardly of one skirtwall.

3. A cover as claimed in claim 2, wherein said button receiving openingshave reinforced side walls surrounding said opening to firmly r'etainsaid locking relationship.

1. A cover adapted to insulate and cover a distribution connector of thetype having a connection from an electrical distribution member at oneend and a plurality of cables extending in parallel from the body of theconnector, the invention comprising: an imperforate, elastomeric-shapedinsulating member having a rectangularly configured body portionincluding top, side and end walls shaped to conform to the outercontours of a connector and to extend beyond the extent of theconnector, a continuous skirt member flexibly depending from the body onboth sides and the end of said body, a reinforced opening in the coveradapted to receive a cylindrical connecting member spaced between saidbody portion and said reinforced opening, an intermediate skirt sectionwith said skirt section having button members intruding from one wall,and button receiving openings in the opposed skirt member wall alignablewith said buttons for receiving said buttons in snap fitting relationand to close said intermediate area under said connector and lock saidcover to said connector.
 2. A cover as claimed in claim 1, wherein saidbutton members comprise integral elastomeric headed members extendinginwardly of one skirt wall.
 3. A cover as claimed in claim 2, whereinsaid button receiving openings have reinforced side walls surroundingsaid opening to firmly retain said locking relationship.